Stupid Decisions, Complicated Consequences
by Nikki1
Summary: Nathan Petrelli is a high school graduate who is bravely serving his country. His future is completely mapped out and doesn’t involve fatherhood for at least ten years….right? AU


Brief explanation: This story is set in an alternate universe I describe in my story 8th Grade History. I recommend reading that first, but you don't really have to for this one to make sense.

Also, I had written a really crappy story called Sugar and Spice, which followed this same basic plot. If you read that…I apologize. I wrote it really fast because I wanted to post it before I left for Thailand last month, but when I got back I realized it was of extremely poor quality so I deleted it and wrote this one. Sorry for the long notes. Please enjoy.

Summary: Nathan Petrelli is a high school graduate who is bravely serving his country. His future is completely mapped out and doesn't involve fatherhood for at least ten years….right? AU

_**Stupid Decision, Complicated Consequences**_

Sometimes Nathan Petrelli thought that it might have been nice if he had been born as, oh, an ant or a squirrel, or maybe even a redwood tree. After all, insects and lower mammals can be considered to live quite the charmed life if one looks beyond their habits of dwelling in trees and dirt. All that is required of these creatures is that they eat, mate and sleep. No complications involving school, work or family will ever disturb their well-established routines. Even the stoic existence of the giant redwood growing to mountainous heights within the well-protected confines of a national park would be preferable to the life of secrets and anxiety that the eighteen-year-old boy was currently leading.

Nathan's life wasn't meant to be as difficult as he had made it, at least not so early on. The difficulties should have arisen 15 to 20 years down the road when he would be establishing himself as a major player in the grand tableau of international business and politics. At 18 years old he was meant to work hard at achieving a world class education, form the connections that would serve him throughout his career and date the right girls from the right families, all while constantly maintaining the propriety dictated by his Petrelli legacy.

Of course, it was expected that he would sow his wild oats before shuffling off any vestiges of immaturity. His parents looked the other way when he occasionally cavorted with less than desirable playmates, aware that he would soon conform to the proper examples set by his father and grandfather and great-grand father and so on and so forth. The only admonition Nathan had received was a grave yet simple warning not to do anything stupid. However, Nathan apparently sowed a little to vigorously because instead of wilting into obscurity as is expected, his oats had stubbornly taken root.

And so he found himself, a bright eyed Air Force recruit bravely serving his country with his specialized skill, taking leave to bear witness as his childhood sweetheart from AP camp gives birth to what she claims is his offspring.

'Damn camp,' he though as he stood nervously in front of the small town hospital in no-where, Wyoming. 'Damn Meredith Gordon and her tight red dress. Damn Parkman for inviting me to the stupid party. Damn me and my raging hormones.' He briefly considered turning tail and flying for the horizon without looking back, but then he recalled Meredith's pitiful voice and how she hadn't asked him for anything except for his presence.

"I really don't want to be alone," she had said in that soft drawl that got to him even over the phone. "Please Nathan, say you'll come."

The part of Nathan that suffered from a savior complex promised to be there with her and as Petrellis are men of their words, he calmed his harried nerves and entered the white washed building.

Business was slow in the minor health care facility. Nathan espied a kid in a Little League uniform nursing a broken arm sitting across from a man with a quickly growing pile of used Kleenex. Typical enough fare for a small time clinic, the variety that didn't exactly cater to unfamiliar pregnant teens. Meredith was never really one to relish anonymity anyway, so she was probably glad to stick out like a sore thumb. At least her uniqueness made it easy for Nathan to find her. After a single query, the reluctant father-to-be was quickly ushered to a small but clean room where he found Meredith lying beneath the crisp white sheets of a maternity bed.

Nathan had trouble finding a response to Meredith's greeting as he had his first look at the colossal bulge protruding from the girl.

"What? You've never seen a pregnant lady before?" she quipped saucily.

He hesitantly walked to the side of her bed, unsure what to do with himself. He settled with awkwardly patting Meredith's arm and sitting in the uncomfortable chair beside her when she complained that he was making her nervous.

"I don't see what you're so uptight about," she said, picking at the roses Nathan had brought her because he felt she might expect it. "You're not the one who's gonna squeeze a baby out in a few hours."

"True," Nathan conceded. "I'm just still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that you're having a baby. I've only known for two weeks. You've had nine months to prepare yourself."

"Prepare," she snorted. "Right. Who's prepared? I'm terrified, Nathan. I've been living out of a suitcase since daddy sent me packing and I have no idea what I'll do with this thing once its out."

Nathan rolled his eyes and lurched to his feet. "Shit, Meredith, you told me you had everything under control."

"Calm down, Nathan, everything will work out. It always has."

Nathan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall across from the metal bed. "Grow up, will ya Meredith?" he said through a clenched jaw. "That's the same ridiculous attitude you've had since you were a kid. Remember the time you convinced me to fly away from camp and you ended up setting a whole field of corn on fire as we passed over Kansas?"

"Yeah," she giggled, to Nathan's unending irritation.

"It wasn't funny," he growled. "I can picture it now. The two of us were sitting in the counselor's office and all you had to say was, 'It'll work out'."

"And it did," she interrupted. "We were barely even punished."

"Only because my father stepped in," he said solemnly, knowing that she had never been privy to that information. "The world doesn't run on luck Meredith. Things don't just 'work out'. When something's wrong, you fix it. When problems come up you don't just ignore them, you deal with them."

"Spare me the lecture, grandpa." She was desperately trying not to cry. "What do you want me to do? Go back in time and stop this from happening? Believe me, if I could I would definitely warn myself not to ever sleep with a pompous bore like you!"

"Yeah, well you let me know if you're ever in a position to make that happen. I'd gladly pay any toll required of the ferryman who would take you out of my reality."

She threw the bruised bouquet at the sneering youth and managed, between sobs, to order him out of her room. The side of Nathan that was a dirty scoundrel urged him to honor her violent request, but he was far too aware that she spoke out of hurt feeling and anger rather than genuine desire; so he stayed. He apologized charmingly, blaming his outburst on exhaustion and nerves; so she forgave him.

He was wit her as the contractions worsened and he even let her grasp his hand though several times he swore she broke a bone or two. He paced the hallway after they wheeled her into a delivery room. Bad elevator music was being piped into the area and he tried in vain to occupy himself with what had to be the first ever edition of National Geographic.

He mused on the fact that these were the memories he would have of his child's birth; boring white walls, painful plastic seats, bad music and old magazines.

'Not exactly a phenomenal start,' he thought. He couldn't help comparing the experience to his only other encounter with the miracle of birth. At least Peter's delivery had been interesting. Not many people can say that they had helped their mother give birth in the back of a car in deadlock traffic when they were just shy of 14. Even now when he thought of Peter he could hear blaring horns and smell gasoline.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nathan heard the doctor say something that sounded vaguely like "It's a girl." To his amazement, Nathan discovered that his ears hadn't deceived him. He had a daughter and he held the proof in his hands. An impossibly tiny little thing with downy soft hair, ten delicate fingers and a sweet little sad pout that pierced his heart because he knew he would never be a part of her life.

Meredith was tired and quiet but seemed content to Nathan. She couldn't take her eyes of the baby, who she had decided to name Claire.

"Claire?" Nathan had asked as he watched his daughter sleeping in her mother's arms. "Why Claire?"

"After my mama," she said in a small voice. "She died when I was a little girl. I think she would have liked that."

"Claire," he repeated, gently stroking the golden hair. "It's a good name."

He said good bye when a nurse informed him that visiting hours were over, promising to return the next day. Before leaving for his hotel down the road he kissed Meredith on the crown of her head and whispered his assurance that she would be a great mom. After a final kiss for Claire he picked up his sweater and left mother and child to spend their first night together.

As he prepared for bed that night he felt a deep sense of peace. Despite claiming to be unprepared for motherhood, Meredith had seemed happy and confident with Claire. He was sure that she would be able to settle down and begin the process of growing up with this new responsibility. Even his sleep was easier than it had been in weeks. 'She was right,' he told himself as he drifted into a much-needed rest. 'Everything is going to work out fine.'

All this considered, you could imagine his surprise when he returned to the hospital the next morning and found that Meredith was missing. It wouldn't have been so unusual, as Meredith was known for her abrupt departures, but this time she had left something behind.

Claire.

* * *

The grimacing nurse had handed Nathan a note after she had watched him walk into the empty room. According to the on duty security officer Meredith had visited Claire in the nursery at 1:30 a.m., which wasn't considered unusual for an anxious first time mommy. However, this was obviously far from the normal nervous mom check up as playback of that night's security footage taken in the parking lot revealed that she had left the premises at about 1:53 a.m.

Overwhelmed with information, facts, and security records Nathan sank into that same plastic chair he had sat in less than 24 hours ago while Meredith was in labor. The folded paper in his hand felt leaden and he doubted whether he had the strength to open it and reveal its contents. Where was the calm he had enjoyed the night before? 'Meredith must have taken it with her,' he thought darkly. At that thought a questionably valid sense of injustice overcame the young man and the fuel of anger compelled him to read the note.

She wrote: _You were right, Nathan. You're always right. When something happens you have to deal with it. But I can't deal, Nathan. I can't do this. I thought I could. I really did. I almost convinced myself that I could be happy with Claire. There's so much I want to do with my life. So many things I want to see. I'm being selfish. I can see that. I don't know if this note will even make any sense to you. You were always the mature one. Responsible, reliable Nathan. Don't tell her about me. Say I died. Don't tell her I abandoned her. I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger. Bye. _

So what should a responsible, reliable young man do when thrust into such a situation? Should he follow the lead of his former flame and leave Claire to an uncertain future in the child welfare system? He considered many options as he walked down the seemingly endless hallway leading to the nursery. Yet when he entered that room and gazed down at the vulnerable form of his daughter, he knew there was only one option he would be satisfied with taking. This was his daughter. His daughter. The same sense of possession and protective concern that had overwhelmed him as he held his newborn baby brother now consumed his very being. She belonged to him and no one could take her away.

He knew his parents would be angry. No, furious. No, livid. Actually, when he called them the next day they were a combination of all three, with a dash of rage thrown in for good measure. However, in Wyoming he and Claire were safely out of harms way. By the time Nathan had rented a car and transported them both to New York (he suddenly understood his mother's fears as far as Peter and flying were concerned), his parents had slightly clamed. They didn't exactly welcome the new addition to their family, but they didn't throw her out with the dishwater either. Peter, of course, thought she was the funniest thing he had ever seen and insisted on holding her every chance he was given.

Nathan wasn't sure how being a father would work with his military career. He wasn't sure how college and law school would work out either, though his parents vehemently assured him that both were still a definite part of his future. He realized that things wouldn't work out on their own, but he was willing to fight and ensure that they did. After all, Claire was a pretty strong incentive.

Their first night in New York, after the rest of the house had fallen asleep, Nathan was up watching his baby sleep. "Welcome to the Petrelli world of privilege and wealth, little baby. I hope I don't screw you up."

* * *

Yay! I'm so much happier with this version! I'm already in the middle of another story that tells how Peter discovered his ability…I like it. Hopefully it will be up soon. Please review!


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